Customer Reviews

Hits

5 star:		(97)
4 star:		(32)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

In a time when many artists were lucky enough to linger around for one or two hit singles, Phil Collins scored a string of fresh and orginal singles that made him one of the biggest stars of the 1980s'. Few artists had a more impressive hit streak than him: 3 number one hits in a row, 4 additional charttoppers 12 consecutive top 10 hits. "Hits" distills 15 years of timeless music into a 16 - song cd, and while it leaves its share of hits, it's a great collection of great music.

Many of Phil's biggest hits are here: the chilling rock opuses "Another Day In Paradise", "I Wish It Would Rain Down" and "In The Air Tonight", the bubbly, Motown - style "Two Hearts" (its 1960s' Motown sound thanks in part to legendary Motown producer Lamonte Dozier, who co - wrote and produced it), the angst - ridden "Against All Odds", the gorgeous cover of "A Groovy Kind Of Love" and the soulful "Something Happened On The Way To Heaven", to name (more than) just a few. Also, Phil included a new trscl, an R & B - tinged cover of the Cindy Lauper smash "True Colors". Two more recent songs, "Both Sides Of The Story" and "Dance Into The Light" are very good, too.

As I mentioned previously, several songs are missing. Phil had had 25 chart entries by the time this collection was released. Only 15 of those songs are here ("True Colors" was never issued as a single). The following singles listed here unfortunately missed inclusion on this mostly wonderful collection:

"I Missed Again" (number 19)
"I Don't Care Anymore" (number 39)
"I Cannot Believe It's True" (number 79)
"Don't Lose My Number" (number 4)
"Do You Remember" (number 4)
"Hang In Long Enough" (number 23)
"Who Said I Would" (number 73)
"Hero" (with David Crosby) (number 44)
"Everyday" (number 24)
"It's In Your Eyes" (number 77)

I also wouldn't have minded if the people who put together this set had included a few cuts from Genesis, namely "Invisible Touch", "In Too Deep" and "I Can't Dance".

Casual fans may complain that two other Collins hits, "You'll Be In My Heart" and "Can't Stop Loving You", are also excluded. That's because those songs weren't released yet. One final complaint is that it's not in chronological order, though as already pointed out, "Take Me Home" is the best choice for a closer. This a great cd. Here's hoping that a Phil Collins boxed set will be released in the future.

I'd give this CD set 5 stars if the sound quality was better, but we like the number (and variety) of songs, and have listened to this CD set many, many times since we bought it almost two years ago.

I wouldn't hold my breath that a better quality version will come out any time soon, so, if you're a fan, this is a must-have.

When I heard about Phil Collins' Hits coming out in fall 1998, I went so crazy, I bought 4 copies of it on the release date!!!! All those songs and classics by Phil put together in one collection! I know someone must have played In The Air Tonight on repeat maybe 56 times on the CD player because he can make such hummable songs! Lots of melodies and rhythms and songmaking that he's so good at!!!! Against All Odds, Another Day In Paradise (which I can't stop humming to!), Two Hearts, Something Happened..., One More Night, Sussudio, and others were those I loved on there. One overlooked song he should have put on it was Do You Remember and its South Carolina/Georgia like feel to it (it just sounded so good in Augusta in '90). But this is a very smartly done collection of songs that highlighted his decade long solo career!

Upon first listen to this, I felt it was missing a few hits. Then I realized those were from his "Genesis" days. However this is still full of his solo songs, most of which are great. Included is "Another Day In Paradise", "Easy Lover", "Sussudio", and the huge "Against All Odds". Plus it's got "In The Air Tonight", and my favorite "One More Night". The only thing I can think of that's missing is "Don't Lose My Number". Otherwise this is just what the casual fan would expect. This disc would go great with the collection from "Genesis", which is also brilliantly titled "The Hits".

Phil Collins is a tough artist to put together a greatest hits collection for ... what do you put on it? This collection is very good. If you're a fan of all the big hits, they're all here. I can't really think of one major solo hit that's missing (maybe We Said Hello Goodbye?).

Of course, there will be several songs that big fans will say are missing that were just album tracks that were popular with radio play (Inside Out, Find a Way to My Heart & I Don't Care Anymore come to mind quickly); to include everything would probably require 2 discs.

While almost every song here is excellent, the ones that I don't like I so strongly dislike that unfortunately it brings down the rating for me. Seperate Lives & Both Sides? Yuck!!!

This will not detract the casual or hardcore fan though from loving this collection. It sure did not detract me! Enjoy.

warning: this is not digitally remastered. but enhanced master. what a shame to let good songs go to waste. i wanted to hear that crisp clean sound of in the air tonight up load. all i got was destortion and had to turn the volume down.

This is a very definitive collection of Phil Collins' greatest hits of his 17 year career (at the time of this CD's release year) and is an essential collection for both novice and longtime fans alike.

The 80s singles that dominate most of this collection are among the most memorable and classiest hits that that amazing decade offered and still stand well even today. His 1990s songs have unfortunately fared less well but at least have some spot on this collection and "Both Sides of The Story" is a truly powerful socially-conscious classic with a sad story behind it.

The previously unreleased song called "True Colors" is a great cover of the Cyndi Lauper classic and improves on the original version.

Go and buy this collection. It's a great investment.

If you are reading this you probably either love or loathe Phil Collins as (until recently) he has never really been seen as an "artist" by the musical elite; notwithstanding Phil compiled some of the best and best selling releases of the 1980's and early 1990's.

Although I really enjoyed most of the songs, Phil's myriad of singles warrant at least a second CD as he has had such a long, productive run. So, it's almost a certain that many listeners will find something missing from this disc, such as "I Missed Again," "I Don't Care Anymore," "Don't Lose My Number," "Do You Remember?". Some of these omissions are unacceptable, but in the end, "Hits" is nevertheless a representative collection of Phil's hits. It also includes songs from movie soudtracks that were never on his solo releases as well as a nice version of Cyndi Lauper's "True Colors".

As I tend to do with some greatest hits collections, I made my own version and dropped some of my less favorite "hits" and added some of my favorites like: "All Of My Life", "Find A Way To My Heart", "Can't Hold Off The Years" and "Long Long Way To Go" as my closer as I love the way it just cuts off at the end.

In a nutshell, if you like Phil Collins, buy this CD and use it to make your own greatest hits if you have some of his other releases. Also, if you are a casual fan, you will certainly not be disappointed. If you don't like Phil Collins, this nor any release of his may change your mind. One minor complaint on my part: I do wish that this release would have included an informative insert as although I like the cover, there is nothing in the inside about how these songs came to be and that is always a plus when releasing a greatest hits collection. Easily earns its 4 stars

This 16 track CD is a great collection of Phil Collins' solo career greatest hits!!! Lots of Phil!!! A+

Phil Collins has always been one of my favorite musical artists. When this album was released and True Colors hit the airwaves, it showed how remarkable this man's journey through stardom over the past 20 years was.

Hits includes the songs that made Phil what he is; the slick tune with the drum solo In The Air Tonight; the best ballad ever written Against All Odds; the sentimental and dedicative Another Day In Paradise; the chilling I Wish It Would Rain Down; the fun pop grips of Easy Lover and You Can't Hurry Love; the groovy One More Night; and the incredible Take Me Home.

However, many songs were left out; I Don't Care Anymore, Don't Lose My Number, Do You Remember?, Everyday, It's In Your Eyes, and my favorite Find A Way To My Heart from But Seriously.

Still, the songs offered on Hits are worth having this album available to you...seriously!

Recommended

B+